Safe structure



June 4, 1935 w c MILLER ET AL- 2,003,302 I SAFE STRUCTURE Filed .Aug. 2, 1933 15 sheets-shear i HWWIIHIINI. 1 4. 12 W WW WW Jin g1; "413 a'lform June 4, 1935. w. CJMILLER ET AL 2,003,302

SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l I I a l I i i l l l l June 4, 1935. w. c. MILLER El AL, 2,003,302

I SAFE STRUCTURE Filed A 2, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 08 I 2 Md 1 J E C L w i w 6 4 c M H .H MM MMWWHH a 1005 b 1. 0 1 B w a w 0 7% a 0 D 7 m 5 5 5 i w w W Mm O lillllllhl 2 fio w 6 6 b w Mo 2 n0 a I a/ 10 WM 1 E nfl 7 7 w. c. MILLER ET AL 2,003,302

SAFE STRUCTURE Jung 4-, 1935.

Filed Aug. 2, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 HHH m; m WM I l M/ June 4, 1935 w. c. MILLER -ET AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1955 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 W :Z 3 W5 5 7 h n w m @L M w .1 N h w m ms mwwm June 4, 1935.

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W. C. MILLER El AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2-, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 June 4, 1935. w. c. MlLLER El AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 uwh m T ill. y I .4 W 2%? 2 LTLFWV :fi n v 6 m l I ma u u 7. u

u m y h r June 1935- w. c. MILLER El AL 2,003,302

SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1933 l5 Sheets-Sheet 8 June 4,1935. 0 w. c. MILLER 5' AL 2,003,302

' SAFE STRUCTURE I Filed Aug. 2', 19s: I 15 Sheets-Sheet 10- 3w. 6;. MILLER ET AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1953- June 4, 1935.

15 SheetsSheet ll 7? for? June 4, 1935.

w. c. MILLER El AL 2,003,302

SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet 13 June 4, 1935.

W. C. MILLER El AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1933 15 Sheets-Sheet f14 m w NMW N NNNM IJW W fforlrew June 4, 1935. w. c. MILLER ET AL SAFE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1953 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 Patented June 4, 1935 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFE STRUCTURE William o. Miller m1 Albert L. Abbott, Canton, Ohio, assignors to Dicbold Safe & Look 00., Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 2, 1933, Serial No. 683,384 30 Claims. (Cl. 109-1) This invention relates particularly to' safeindicated at line H of Fig. 9; Fig. 12, a broken structures which are adapted for housing curvertical sectional view taken as indicated at line rently-used record-cards, record-sheets, signal2 of Fig. 10; Fig, 13, a broken vertical sectional ture cards, etc. Such safes are equipped, comview parallel with one end wall of the safe, show- 5 monly, with projectable trays, or article-holders, ing a track-switch employed for switching the 6 which normally are housed within the safe-body, gu eoller with W ch t front edge of th but which may be elevated to give ready access door is equipped from one track to another, to the records during working hours. after the door has reached its fully elevated po- The present invention constitutes a modiflcasition; Fi a Similar V w, Showing t ackl0 tion of the safe, or receptacle, described and w tc in a differ n position; ig. 15, a broken claimed in the William C. Miller application S. N. vertical sectional view at the opposite end of the 595,897, filed February 29, 1932. safe, showing the means for actuating a limit- The primary purpose of the present invenswitch for breaking the circuit of the electric tion is to provide improved means for actuating motor when the door reaches the upper end of 15 the closure and article-holder in a safe of the its traverse; a broken Vertical 58017101181 5 type mentioned above. Additional features of view taken as indicated at line l6 of Fig. 15, this improvement will appear from the description view illustrating both the circuit breaker and the which follows. track-switch at this end of the safe; Fig. 17, a The invention is illustrated in a preferred embroken vertical sectional view taken as indicated 20 bodiment in the accompanying drawings, in at line H in Fig. 13; Fig. 18, a broken vertical 20 which sectional view taken as indicated at line I8 of Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a safe em- Fig. 1 7, Fig. 19, a broken plan sectional view on bodying the invention, the safe being shown in an enlarged scale, taken as indicated at line l9 fully opened position; Fig. 2, a plan view of the of Fig. 4; Fig. 20, a broken vertical sectional View safe in closed position; Fig. 3, a plan sectional taken as indicated at line 20 of Fig. 19 and show- 25 view of the safe, the closure, or door, which forms ing a detail of the equalizing device for insura top wall for the safe being shown in plan; Fig. ing coordinated movement of the vertical slide- 4, a vertical sectional view in a plane perpendicmembers of the fluid-pressure lift, it being noted ular to the .front wall of the safe, the view being that the upper ends of said slide-members are taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 1, and the connected by a bar, as shown in Figs. 8 and 5; 30 safe being shown in fully open position; Fig. 5, Fig. 21, an inner plan view of the door, or closure, a section similar to Fig. 4, showing the fiuidof the safe-body; Fig. 22, a section taken as-inpressure lift and the door carried thereby in eledicated in line 22 of Fig. 21; Fig. 23, a broken secvated position, ready to be lowered to a position tional view taken as indicated at line 23 of Fig. back of the main rear wall of the safe-body, the 22; Fig. 24, a broken sectional view, on a larger 35 article-holder being omitted from the view; Fig. scale, the section being taken as indicated at 6, a vertical sectional view parallel to the front line 24 of Fig; 6, this view showing a lock-conwall of the safe, the section being taken as introlled switch which controls the electric motor dicated at line 6 of Fig. 2, looking rearwardly; and prevents operation of the motor till after 4 Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the the bolt-work of the door has been withdrawn; door in the idle, vertical position and showing Fig. 25, a view of a portion of the mechanism the article-holder in elevated position; Fig. 8, a shown in Fig. 21, but with the parts in a. differvertical sectional view taken as indicated at line ent position, the bolt-work being temporarily 8 of Fig. 4, looking forwardly, this view illustratlatched in unlocked position by a safety-latch ing the means for actuating the article-holder; device; Fig. 26, a plan sectional view taken as 45 Fig. 9, a broken vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 26 of Fig. 27, illustrating the indicated at line 9 of Fig. 6, one end of the safemeans for operating the hydraulic rams em-- body having been removed to expose a vertically ployed for actuating the door-lift; Fig. 27, a vermovable plate which is actuated by the articletical sectional view taken as indicated at line holder and which carries a lateral groove-closure 2l2| of Fig. 26; Fig. 28, a broken vertical sec- 50 which serves to cover a groove in the door-jamb tional view taken as indicated at line 2828 of with which the safe-body is provided at its open Fig. 26; Fig. 29, (Sheet 4), a broken vertical secupper end; Fig. 10, 'a broken plan sectional view tional view illustrating one of the rams employed; taken as indicated at line Ill of Fig. 9; Fig. 11, a Fig. 30, a broken sectional view taken as indi- 5 broken plan view on an enlarged scale, taken as cated at linetll of Fig. 29; Fig. 31, a broken vertical sectional view of the front portion of the safe, showing the article-holder in elevated position and one of the signature-card drawers drawn forwardly to the open position; Fig. 32, a broken plan sectional view taken as indicated at line 32 of Fig. 31; Fig. 33, an enlarged detail sectional view of the device shown in the upper portion of Fig. 31, and Fig. 34, a diagrammatic view, illustrating the circuit of the electric motor employed for driving the pump which supplies pressure to the hydraulic ram.

In the illustration given, a vertical movable door-lift, actuated by a hydraulic ram, is employed; and an electric motor operates a pump which draws oil from a reservoir and forces the same through conduits leading to the lower end of the cylinders of the hydraulic ram. In these cylinders are mounted pistons whose upper ends are secured. to the upper end of the vertically movable, door-lift, which comprises, in the illustration given, a pair of vertically movable slides movable in upright guides mounted in a doorhousing located back of the rear wall of the safebody. The vertical slide-members are connected at their upper ends by a strong cross-member, and, preferably, the vertical slide-members are connected by an equalizer in the form of a journaled shaft equipped with pinions which work in fixed vertical racks mounted adjacent the rear wall of the vertical door-housing.

It may be noted, further, that the electric motor pumps the oil to the ram to cause the lift to elevate the door to theupper end of its traverse in effecting either the opening of the door or the closing of the door; that the circuit of the motor is then automatically interrupted by the limitswitch, whereupon the door settles down to either the housed idle vertical position or the closed position, depending upon which way the free front edge of the door is guided by the track-switches employed. As the lift settles down, the oil is forced out of the lower ends of the cylinders of the ram and back into the reservoir. Obviously, the resistance to the settling of the lift which carries the door may be regulated by the size of the passage which permits the return of the oil from the cylinders to the reservoir.

In addition to the limit-switch mentioned, it it preferred to employ a circuit-breaker which normally is held open by the bolt-work of the locking-mechanism until the bolt-work is released to permit the door to be opened; also, a normally open starting-switch is employed, which, on being momentarily closed, closes the circuit of an electromagnetically controlled switch which controls the motor circuit. A normally closed stop-switch is employed, also, by which the motor may be stopped at any instant, whereupon the door will return either to the closed position or the idle open position, depending upon its position at the instant the circuit is broken by opening the stopswitch. If the article-holderis equipped, in addition to the ordinary record-card files, with drawers for holding signature-cards, or the like, preferably each drawer controls a switch which closes when the drawer is closed; and the drawercontrolled switches must be closed before the motor can operate. I

Describing the preferred construction illustrated, A designates a safe-body having at its top an upwardly presented door-opening A (Fig. 5), in which is normally seated a bodily-shiftable closure, or door,'A=, the safe-body having beneath chamber A said article-holder having associated therewith at its lateral sides a pair of lifter-bars B Whose upper ends have lost-motion connection with the lateral walls of the article-holder (see Figs. 6 and 7) and whose lower ends have secured thereto, as by screws I, and intervening slide-blocks I", vertically slidable plates B (Figs. 9-12), which plates are equipped at their upper edges with hinged guard-plates 13 which, when the tray is fully elevated, bridge the grooves in the lateral members of the door-jamb, as shown in Fig. 7, B vertical plates interposed between the lifter-bars B and the outer plates 25 and carrying at their upper ends inwardly extending guard-flanges B (Fig. 7-), said plates 13* being provided, as shown in Fig. 6, with vertical slots 2, within which the slide-blocks l form lost-motion connections between the lifter-bars B and the plates 13 the purpose being to permit the plates B to be elevated until the hinges of the guard-plates B are on a level with the guardfianges B after which the plates move upwardly together until they assume the position shown in Fig. '7; C (Figs. 3-5 and 19), a vertically movable lift normally housed in a'supplemental chamber, or housing, C, disposed back of the rear vertical wall of the safe, said lift comprising vertical slide-members 3, a cross-member 3 connecting their upper ends, and a hood 3 mounted on the upper end of the fabricated slide described; C a hydraulic ram which vertually constitutes a part of the door-lift, said ram being shown as comprising a pair of vertical cylinders 4 having their lower ends firmly secured to the bottom member 5 of the vertical door-housing C, and pistons, or plungers, 4*, having their upper ends secured to the cross member 3 of the door-lift;

'0 (Figs. 8, 19 and 20), an equalizing device comprising a shaft 6 journaled in brackets 6 carried by the vertical slide-member 3 and equipped with pinions 6 which engage fixed vertical racks B secured to the rear wall of thedoor-housing C; D, (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) mechanism actuatedindirectly by the motor through the medium of the door-lift and door, serving to actuate the articleholder B; and E, (Figs. 2628) lift-actuating mechanism comprising an electric motor E, a

pump E a valve device E an oil reservoir E, u

a pump-intake pipe E a pump-outlet pipe E leading to the valve device E cylinder feeding and exhausting pipes E leading to the lower ends of the cylinders 4, and seepage pipes, or drain pipes, E adapted to return to the reservoir such oil as may seep past the pistons, as will be understood from Fig. 29.

The safe-body A may be of any suitable construction. Preferably, it has fire-proof side-walls and bottom wall and a fire-proof closure. In the form illustrated, it comprises inner and outer steel shells 1 and l and a thermally insulating filling 1 The door-opening is shown provided with suitable tongues and grooves to form an effective flame-resisting joint between the door .and the safe-body when the door is in the closed.

position.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 13-18, the safebody preferably is provided near its rear corners with fixed housings 8 and 9, within which are mounted track-switches F and F respec-.

tively. Referring to the fixed housing 9' as the right-hand housing (as viewed in Fig. 1), this housing contains also a limit-switch-actuating device G, whose function is to break the electric circuit when the door-lift reaches the upper end of its traverse.

One edge of the door A, preferably the rear edge, is equipped (see Figs. 3, 5 and 19) with a flange ID to which are secured brackets I carrying pivots Ill which are journaled in forwardly extending flanges 3 which form portions of the slides 3 of the lift C, as best shown in Fig. 19. The door is equipped at its opposite edge (front edge) with guide-rollers II which are adapted to travelon tracks or surfaces II which constitute the extreme top surfaces of the end-walls of the safe-body, as shown in Fig. 5. When the door is being opened, its base-edge, or hinged edge, is lifted by the hoist, while the rollers ll travel rearwardly on the end-walls of the safebody. During this action, the tongues and grooves between the door and door-jamb become disengaged. A guard I2 is hingedly connected at its front edge with the front upper corners of the safe-body. It comprises a plate I! and cam blocks l2 at the'ends of said plate. The rollers H are adapted to roll under the camblocks I2 in the final portion of the closing movement of the door and thus swing the plate I2 upwardly and forwardly. One purpose of this guard-device is to prevent small articles from falling into the grooves in the door-jamb. Another purpose is to prevent injury to the hands.

The rollers H at the front edge of the door are adapted to enter guide-grooves, or tracks, l3 during the final portion of the hoisting of the door, as will be understood from Figs. 5 and 13-18. These grooves, or cam tracks, constitute portions of the mechanical switch-devices F and F', which are located in the fixed housings 8 and 9, respectively. The mechanical switches are of the same construction. The groove I3 is formed in the plate l3 fixedly mounted in thehousing on a plate 84 which is secured by means of a plate l5 to the end wall of the safe-body A. Spacers it and screws I! connect the plates 13 and M. The track-switch proper is designated 18. It comprises a member l3 suspended from a pivot l9, and an up-standing member l8 mounted on the same pivot. The member I8 is provided with a stud which is connected by a tensionspring 2| with a fixed stud 22. The pin 20 may move in an arc-like slot 23 with which the plate M is provided. The movable base-portion l8 of the track-switch is provided centrally with an upstanding spring-pressed stud 24 which is adapt ed to engage a central recess 25 in the baseportion of the member I 8", as is best shown in Fig. 18.

The groove l3 communicates at its rear end with the vertical groove l3, and the latter communicates, also, with a track-groove l3 which is adapted to" guide the roller H downwardly into a channel-track 28 provided by a U-shaped member 26*, as will best be understood from Figs. 13 and 19. The U-shaped member 26 is spot-welded to a reinforcing corner member 21 mounted within the door-housing C.

The construction and arrangement of the track-grooves and the mechanical switch are such that the roller II, in passing from the groove l3 to the groove l3, will move the member l8 from the position shown in Fig. 13 to the position shown in Fig. 14. When the roller I l reaches the upper limit indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 14, the action of the spring 2| will cause the member H3 to return to the position shown in Fig. 13. Consequently, when the hoist pervmits the door to be lowered into the housing C,

the rollers II will follow the track grooves l3 and enter the channel grooves 26.

In moving the door from the housed, idle position shown in Fig. 4 to the closed position, the guide-rollers I l at the front edge of the door will travel upwardly through the track-grooves l3 into the vertical grooves I3, will pass the member 18 of the mechanical switch, and will then be guided downwardly through the groove l3, thus permitting the rollers II to travel again on the surfaces ll of the end-walls of the safe as the door passes to the fully closed position.

closed by withdrawing the bolt-work before the circuit can be energized. When the startingswitch H is momentarily closed, the effect is to energize the electromagnet 28 and close the stickcircuit switch H This remains closed, with the motor operating, until either the stop-switch or the limit-switch is opened, whereupon the motor circuit is broken.

The starting-switch H and the stop-switch H are conveniently controlled by push-buttons designated by these reference characters, located as shown in Fig. l.

The manner in which the limit-switch H is automatically opened will be understood from Figs. 15 and 16. The circuit H is shown in Fig. 15 to be provided'with contacts 29 adapted to be bridged by a contact member 30 carried by a spring-actuated plunger 3!. This plunger normally holds the switch-member 30 in elevated, closed position. The plunger may be depressed by means of a vertical rod or plunger 32 which forms a part of the device G. The upper end of the plunger is adapted to be struck by a stud 33 carried by a cam lever 34 which is pivoted at 35. When the roller H connected with-the front corners of the door passes through the vertical slot l3 while the door is moving either toward or away from the closed position, the effect is to actuate the cam lever 34, depress the plunger G and open the limit-switch H. A spring 33 serves to return the plunger 32 to its upper position, thus permitting the switch H to close automatically. Of course, when the limit-switch is open, the solenoid coil 28 is 'de-energized and the motor circuit remains broken until the starting-switch is again pressed, momentarily.

For emergency purposes, a manually actuated devicefor operating the pump is provided, as will be understood from Figs. 5 and 26. An armature shaft of the motor E is connected by a coupler'31 to the pump-shaft 38, these shafts being thus direct-connected. The armature shaft is equippedwith a pinion 39 with which may mesh a gear 40 on a shiftable, manually actuated crank-shaft 4|. vided with a removable crank 42, and may be shoved inwardly to bring the gear 40 into mesh with the pinion 39. The spring 4|"- normally As stated a above, the bolt-controlled switch H must be The shaft 4| is pro- I holds the gear 40 in the non-meshing position.

The drain-pipes E for returning to. the oil reservoir such oil as may seep past the piston the rams C in the manner shown in Fig. 29, where the piston is shown at or near the upper end of its stroke. The piston-head is designated 4. The stem 4 is provided with a reduced portion 4 upon which is a slidablepacking-ring 4 normally held'spaced from the piston head 4 by means of a spring 4 As the piston nears the upper end of its stroke, the packing-ring 4 seats against a shoulder at 4, after which the spring 4 is pressed and any oil trapped below the pistonring 4 is forced to return through the pipe E to the reservoir. It may be explained, also, that when the pump draws oil from the reservoir, it creates'a partial vacuum which tends to draw the seepage-oil back through the pipes E to the reservoir.

As shown in Fig. 28, the reservoir preferably is provided with a relief valve 43 which is shown as comprising a casing 43 and ball valve 43 which occupies a seat in the upper part of the outer passage 43. The casing is provided above the valve with an air vent 43 Should any pressure build up inthe reservoir, it will exhaust through the relief valve;

The valve-device E (Fig. 28) may be of any desired construction. In the illustration given, the device comprises a casing 44 provided with a main longitudinal bore 44*, and provided above said bore with another bore 44 a valve 45 slidable in the bore 44 and equipped with .a spring 45 which normally holds the valve in closed position, it being noted that the pipe E leading from the pump communicates with the valvechamber 44 through a connection 45'; an outlet 46 leading from the valve-chamber tothe duct 44*, said outlet passage being guarded by an upwardly opening valve 46; and a drain-passage 41 leading fromthe conduit 44 to the reservoir. The passage 41 has a reduced portion 4'| into which extends the inner end of a set screw 48, by means of which. the size of the passage may be regulated. It is obvious that the more this passage is choked, the slower will be the descent of the ram which'carries the door, after the motor has been shut off. When the pump operates to force oil through the pipe E the valve 45 is pushed to the left by the entering oil, thus bringing the reduced portion 45 into registration with the outlet passage 46, so that the oil can pass upwardly into the conduit 44, with which is connected the ram-serving pipes E Any suitable valve, such as a differential fluid-pressure valve, well known to hydraulic engineers, may be used in lieu of valve 45.

Referring to Figs. 21-25, the door A is shown equipped with locking mechanism I which comprises bolt-work I, a knob or handle I for actuating the bolt-work, and a combination lock I for locking the bolt-work, equipped with a dial 1. One of the bolts 49 of the bolt-work normally holds the lock-controlled switch H' open, as appears from Fig. 24. To permit the motor to operate, this switch must be closed, which is accomplished by retracting the bolts of the boltwork. The switch H is shown as comprising a pair of contact-members 50 mounted on an insulating block 5| and adapted to be closed by a contact-member 5| carried by the plunger 5| which'normally is held in the projected position by means of the bolt 49. When the bolt is retracted, a spring 5| serves to move the plunger and carry the member 5| to the switch-closing position. (See diagram, Fig. 34.)

The linkage of the bolt-work is actuated by a disk 52 attached to the inner end of the stem of the actuating handle I. The bolt 53 of the combination look I is adapted to engage a shoulder 52 to lock the disk 52, as shown in Fig. 21 The disk is provided also with a shoulder 52 adapted to be engaged by a safety-latch device J, as shown in Fig. 25. "This device comprises an oscillating member 54 supported on a pivot 54, and an actuating rod 55, carrying a spring 55 adaptedto be held under compression by a slidable striker 55 having a striker member 55 (Figs. 21 and 22) i which is shown projected, but which normally is retracted by engagement with the door-jamb when the door is locked. The oscillatable' member, or pawl, 54, is. provided with a stop-pin 54 which is shown in the engaged position in Fig.21, and with a safety-latch pin 54 which is shown in the latching-position in Fig. 25. The slidably mounted member 55 is adapted to engage the front jamb-member of the door-opening, it being noted that the front edge of the door is the last portion of the door to leave its seat in the dooropening operation. Normally, the spring 55 is under compression, so that the safety-stud 54 which rides upon the periphery of the disk 52 in the manner shown in Fig. 21 is ready to. drop into position back of the shoulder 52 when the disk reaches the position shown in Fig. 25. This holds the bolts in retracted position while the door is being lifted from the door-opening. However, when the member 55 is permitted to be projected, the pressure upon the spring 55 is released, whereupon the spring 56 of the boltwork operates to return the disk 52 to the position shown in Fig. 21. In this action, the shoulder 54, which has a slight obliquity, serves to force the latch-pin 54 away from the latching position. It will be noted that the bolts 49 of the bolt-work have beveled ends, so that when the door is again brought to the closed position, the' ole-holder B, reference is made to Figs. 5-7, 9-12,

and 3133. The article-holder is shown as a boxlike container having double end-walls 51, sidewalls 58, and a. double bottom-wall 59. The sidewalls of the tray have fixedly secured thereto vertical rack-sections 60 (Figs. 5 and 7), which are supplemented by folding-rack sections 60 bers 60 into horizontal position when the tray is lowered, as will be understood from Fig. 7.

The tray is equipped (Fig. 32) with vertical guide-bars 6| which move in suitable guides with which the safe-body is equipped.

The racks with which the tray is equipped are actuated by pinions 62, carried by parallel shafts 62 journaled in the front and rear walls of the safe-body, as will be understood from Figs. 5 and 7. These shafts, of course, flank to tray, the chamber B being made of sufficient width to accommodate the shafts and racks. These parts constitute a portion of the tray-actuating mechanism D (compare Fig. 8). The rear ends of the shafts 62 are equipped with sprocket wheels 62 which are engaged by sprocket chains 63, whose ends are joined by connectors 63. sprocket chains are secured to brackets 64 which are carried by a vertical movable horizontal bar 65 which is equipped with strikers 65 (compare Fig. 19). When the door A descends to the housed idle position (Fig. 4) the free edge of the outer door-plate 86 engages the strikers 65', depresses the bar 65, actuates the sprocket chains 63, turns the shafts 62, and causes the articleholder to be raised to the elevated position shown in Fig. 7. When the door is lifted from the housed, idle position, the article-holder is permitted to descend under its own weight. It should be noted that the article-holder, nevertheless, is actuated, in final analysis, by the dooractuating mechanism. This is, the article-holder is actuated through the medium of the doorlift and door carried thereby.

In the illustration given, the article-holder is fitted in its base-portion with forwardly withdrawable drawers, designated- K, shown in Fig. 1 as being three in number. In Fig. 31, the article-holder is shown in elevated position, with one of the drawers K in open position. One of the drawer-controlled switches H also appears in'Fig. 31. Above the plane of the drawers, the article-holder is provided with a bottom-wall 81 upon which rest the removable file-boxes 68 which are equipped with tiltable front ends 66. These members are mounted on pivots 89 which extend between the side-walls 68 of the file.

the front walls of the members 68 engage the front wall of the safe-body and are automatically pressed to the closed position indicated by the,

dotted lines in Fig. 31. That is, this occurs automatically if the operator fails to restore the front end-members 68 to the upright position before closing the door. The drawer-controlled switch H is shown as comprising a spring-contact member 10 carried by the drawer and coacting fixed contact members I0 carried by a wall of the article-holder (compare'Fig. 45).

Any desired tray-structure may be employed, and the arrangement may be variously modified to suit the needs of the user. If the signaturecard boxes, or drawers, K, be omitted, the ar ticle-holder may be of less height and the vertical travel of the article-holder may be lessened.

Referring to Figs. 6-12, the lifter-bars B' are fixedly secured to the vertically slidable plates B and the connecting screws lcarry blocks l which are slidable in the slots 2 (Fig. 6) of the inner plates B The lifter-bars B have projections H which extend into grooves 12 in th endwalls of the article-holder. Blocks, or fillets, 12 are secured in the lower portions of said grooves. As .the holder B ascends, the arms ll of the lifter-bars B are engaged by the blocks 12*, whereupon the outer slide-plates B are lifted until the hinges 13 are on a level with the flanges B of the inner plates B}, after which the plates rise together until they reach the position shown in Fig. '7, the guard-plates B being automatically turned to the groove-covering position by means of springs 14. The movement of the inner plates is effected by the small slide-blocks I which work in grooves 2. When the holder descends, the hinged guard-plates B are automatically swung to vertical position by engagement with the portions I5 of the door-Jamb, as will be understood froml lg. '7.

The operation may be stated briefly: Assuming the safe to be in the closed, locked position, the door A is unlocked by manipulating the combination-lock by means of the dialknoh I and then turning the knob I to retract the bolt-work I, which results in permitting the switch H to close. The device J serves tempo-f rarily to latch the bolt-work in the manner indicated in Fig. 25. After the spring-actuated member 55 is released from the pressure of the door-jamb, said member is projected, thus relieving the pressure upon the spring 55, whereupon the spring 56 of the bolt-work is able to turn the disk 52 (Fig. 25) and force the latchpin 54 out of engagement with the shoulder 52*,

the bolt-work thus returning to the projected position and being capable of automatically locking the door to the door-jamb when the door is again closed.

In the locked position of the safe, the circuit of the electric motor E is'in the condition shown in Fig. 34. By momentarilypressing the starting-switch H the circuit becomes completely closed, the solenoid 28 operating to hold the switch H in closed position. The motor operates to pump oil from the reservoir to the lower ends of the cylinders of the hydraulic ram which operates the door-lift. The rear or hinged edge of the door is lifted and the door at the same time swings rearwardly, the rollers II at the front edge of the door rolling upon the upper surfaces of the end-walls of the safe-body. When the hydraulic lift reaches about the upper end of its traverse, the rollers ll operate the track-switches, so that the door in descending will pass into the door-housing back of the rear wall of the safe. Also, a roller H of the (loot actuates the limit-switch A to break the circuit at this point, thus stopping the operation of the motor, the effect of this being to open the switch H also. When the pump ceases to op-,

erate, the oil in the cylinders 4 of the ram can be forced back into the reservoir, and the doorlift and the door carried thereby settle gradually to the housed, idle position back of the, rear wall of the safe.

To close the door A, it is necessary that the signature-card drawers K shall all be closed, so that the switches H H and H will be closed. By closing the starting-switch H, the motor will again be set in operation and will elevate the door-lift C to the position shown in Fig. 5, whereupon the llmit-switch A will again be automatically opened, the current of the motor will be shutoff, and the door-liftand suspended door will descend by gravity against the resistance of the oil in the cylindersof the ram, as the oil is gradually forced to return to the reservoir. During the ascending movement of the door in the closing operation, the track-switches are automatically set in position to direct the rollers ll into the guide-grooves l3 so that the rollers, upon emerging from the said grooves, will ride upon the upper surfaces of the end-walls of the safe. In the final portion of the closing movement, the rollers will pass into the cam grooves of the blocks l2 and swing the guard-plate I2 upwardly and V 

